I'll Tell The Baby
by HeroWorshiper
Summary: In the episode "Brush Fire" from S1 Chet nearly walks in while the paramedics are delivering a baby. Johnny responds to Chet's insistence that the fire is coming and they should leave with "I'll tell the baby." What if Chet had to witness what he avoided that day? This is a response to Ginger's elevator challenge. Warning….Graphic depictions of child birth.


In the episode "Brush Fire" from S1 Chet nearly walks in while the paramedics are delivering a baby. Johnny responds to Chet's insistence that the fire is coming and they should leave with "I'll tell the baby." What if Chet had to witness what he avoided that day? This is a response to Ginger's elevator challenge. Warning….Graphic depictions of child birth.

"**I'll tell the baby."**

Sweat streamed unabated down Johnny's back as he jogged from the smoky first floor of the eight story building. Heavy SCBA and bulky turnout gear tugged at Johnny, weighing him down while he struggled to force weary feet to move through the crowd of refugees retreating from the fire ravaged structure.

Despite his own personal discomfort, Johnny dashed unswervingly toward Squad 51. Roy was waiting for him to return to the fifth floor where several victims needed assistance, and one of those victims was a very pregnant woman who most likely was not going to be able to make it down the five flights of stairs to safety. The rescue men had decided it would be best to bundle her up in a stokes, and chance bringing her down in the building's still functioning elevator. Now Johnny needed to retrieve a stokes and the O.B. kit just in case the situation somehow went awry before the women could be packed off to Rampart.

Standing beside engine 51 Hank Stanley observed Johnny's progress from the building and through the flow of fleeing office workers. The young medic seemed to be on an urgent mission, and Stanley strode purposefully toward his man to discover the nature of the errand.

Johnny snatched the OB kit from the squad's side compartment and hastily darted around to the rear of the vehicle. Captain Stanley met up with his medic just as Johnny deftly opened the compartment at the tail end of the truck where backboards and stokes stretchers were stored.

"What's going on John?" Stanley inquired.

Johnny slid the stokes from its' compartment simultaneously answering his commander. "We got'ta pregnant woman in labor upstairs on the fifth floor. Looks like she's not gonna be able to make it down those five flights of stairs, so Roy and I thought it might be better if we put her in a stokes and chanced bringing her down in the elevator. Pretty sure she's already in at least the early stages of labor, and all those stairs….well, it's just not a great idea…."

Cap shook his head while rubbing an aching temple with his gloved hand. "You're sure right about that John. All right go ahead. "

Then turning away from Johnny, Cap called out for Chet to leave the support position he'd been manning with Marco on a hose being used to extinguish smoldering debris falling into parched landscaping. "Come on over here pal, and give John a hand evacuation a victim."

Chet patted Marco on the shoulder as he left him manning the hose alone and quickly jogged toward Squad 51 "Sure thing Cap."

The two firemen hefted the stokes loaded with OB kit and O2 between them and swiftly disappeared into the smoke filled interior of the edifice. Once they had located the open doors of the elevator in the hazy lobby, the firemen stepped inside and Johnny slipped his firemen's key into the lock allowing him to operate the machine. Doors slid closed and the two men were lifted gracefully toward the fifth floor.

The fire had mostly been contained to the roof and top two floors. Still, elevators in burning buildings were notoriously undependable. Riding the car up or down meant the occupants might end up trapped in total darkness should the power be lost. Or worse yet, if the mechanism for the machine were to become involved in the blaze or swamped in drenching water, there was the off chance that unwitting elevator passengers could find themselves plummeting to their doom. But the elevator though risky was a chance they'd just have to take in this situation. It was some consolation at least that fortunately this building was relatively new meaning the emergency braking system for the elevator car should be fairly reliable. Johnny and Chet both silently contemplated the perilous nature of their situation as the compartment ascended.

Upon arrival at their destination, the duo from 51's trotted out into the corridor in search of Roy and the victim they were to transport to safety. The scene was controlled chaos. Fire hoses snaked down debris littered hallways where smoke hung heavily from the ceiling like rolling gray and white clouds foretelling a massive thunderstorm on a balmy summer evening. The sharp lightening like crack of axes and pike poles slicing through wood and dry wall echoed through the area mingling with the splash and spray of water and the rise and fall of excited voices as civilians were herded toward safe egress.

The stench of burned wires, plastics and wood along with the distinctive, dank aroma of wet sheet rock swirled heavily in the thick humid interior of the fifth floor hallway. Water from the battle raging above seeped down the walls, and dribbled in small rivulets from sagging ceiling tiles and light fixtures over the men's heads. Heat and dripping water combined in the unventilated space to create an unpleasant swamp like atmosphere.

Swimming through the sea of obstacles, Chet and Johnny finally found their way to where Roy was working in a makeshift departure zone. Roy had managed to evacuate all but a couple victims by now. One was a recent find with some minor burns on his hands and a good dose of smoke inhalation. The other was the pregnant lady Johnny and Chet were seeking.

"How's it going up here?" Johnny inquired of his partner. As he spoke Johnny dropped the OB kit and O2 tank he carried and knelt next to his new patient.

Roy wiped glistening sweat from his brow and glanced at his surroundings. "Pretty good actually. We have almost everyone evacuated, and guys coming down from the floors above are telling me things are getting fairly contained up there."

Johnny grinned at his partner. "Great! Well, let's get….." Johnny looked at the pregnant woman, then back at Roy. "..um Mrs. …..?"

Roy smiled knowingly. "Mrs. Evelyn Jennings." He helpfully supplied.

Johnny smiled at Mrs. Jennings. "Let's get Mrs. Jennings out of here then." Johnny gestured to Chet to place the stokes beside their patient. A yellow disposable blanket was spread inside the basket, and together Chet and Johnny gently lifted the women placing her inside. Johnny covered Mrs. Jennings with another disposable blanket. The OB kit was handed off to Chet to carry while Johnny took the drug box from Roy, and the two departing fireman hefted the stokes and headed for the elevator.

Roy took the O2 case Johnny had brought and applied the mask to his new patient's face. He would escort the second victim down the stairs after the victim had spent a few minutes getting oxygen.

Chet and Johnny trooped back toward the waiting elevator. Careful steps avoided fallen debris and spontaneous waterfalls. The two firemen attempted to make the trek easy and as comfortable as possible for their patient. In her condition excitement was the last thing this woman needed.

Reaching the open doors of their waiting elevator car, the men stepped inside with their passenger, and gently sat the stokes basket on the floor. There was a small amount of water puddling around the edges of the elevator bottom, but not enough to bother their patient as she'd been shielded by the water resistant yellow blanket lining the stretcher. Finding a suitably dry spot, Johnny and Chet gently placed their burden on the floor before Johnny reached up to operate the elevator.

During the walk to the elevator, or in her case ride to the elevator, Evelyn Jennings was treated to an uninhibited view of sagging ceiling tiles dripping with water and saturated light fixtures. The stokes gently rocked and swayed with the motion of the men's gait as they carted her. Evelyn observed for herself the precarious feeling of being carried stretched out in the basket like bed. She couldn't help but realize that if one of the men stumbled, she could tumble suddenly and unevenly to what was no doubt a sodden and nasty hallway floor. Then it occurred to her she might also be in danger from portions of the water engorged ceiling tiles or light fixtures potentially falling and landing across her horizontal body. Thoughts of such regrettable possibilities caused tension in the already excited woman bringing on heavier cramping than she'd yet experienced. Not wanting to distress her pack mule people with her discomfort, Evelyn didn't bother to mention the increase in her symptoms. Surely it wouldn't be long before they had her outside and headed for the hospital.

When the two men sat the stokes basket on the elevator floor, Evelyn briefly made eye contact with one of the men. He was a dark haired clean shaven fellow with kind brown eyes. He smiled congenially at Evelyn while he leaned down to lower her to the floor. Bravely she tried to keep her expression nonplussed. Surely these two men had more to worry about than her petty fears and uneasiness.

"You just relax there. We'll have you out'a here in no time flat." Said the attractive man.

Evelyn nodded silently. She could make it outside without bothering this fireman with her problems.

The handsome fireman slipped a key into a slot on the panel inside the elevator, and the doors of the car slid closed. From her vantage point below, Evelyn felt the hum of the electric motor gently beginning to lower the car. Everything seemed to be moving as it should until suddenly the motors drone ceased, the elevator jerked to a halt and everything suddenly went black.

There in the instant darkness Evelyn knew terror! Her body joined the mechanics of the elevator in jerking, but for her it was the jarring insistent flash of a sudden strong labor contraction. Next there was a rush of fluid from between her legs, and Evelyn realized she was in serious trouble.

"Aaaaaagggghhhhhh!" Evelyn couldn't help the low guttural moan that escaped her lips.

Johnny and Chet stood silently as Johnny fitted his firemen's key into the appropriate slot on the elevator panel. He pressed the button that would bring them to the ground floor, and the elevator doors slid closed.

Chet heaved a quiet relieved sigh when the elevator responded promptly to the commands to move. He was uncomfortable with transporting a woman in labor. Having babies was a beautiful and wondrous part of life when experienced from afar. Chet had absolutely no desire to take part in the experience up close. He'd be glad when they got this lady outside and into an ambulance. Let the doctors' deal with delivering babies, thank you very much. Such things were definitely not in Chet's perception of his job description.

The sudden cessation of movement and light definitely caught Johnny and Chet's attention. Both men knew a loss of power was one of the risks they'd assumed when using the elevator. But of course, neither figured the problem would occur, and certainly they'd hoped things would function long enough for them to get this lady out of the building.

In the darkened elevator, the cry from their victim echoed off the walls of the passenger car where the three were trapped.

Johnny dug into his turnout pocket in search of his flashlight. Clicking on the beam, he directed it downward to their victim. The light fell on the anguished face of Evelyn Jennings. Johnny saw tears streaming from the woman's eyes, and she wore a look of panic he realized was really not a good thing for a woman in her condition.

"Hey, hey, hey….calm down." He crooned while kneeling beside the woman. "It's just a little power failure. We'll radio for help. Don't worry. Everything's gonna be all right."

"No it's not." Evelyn sobbed.

Johnny reached out and took the woman's hand in his. "Sure it is Mrs. Jennings. They'll have us out of here in no time. The fire is mostly out at this point. It'll be fine. We might just have to wait a few minutes for them to get the elevator working, that's all."

Another contraction hit Evelyn and she couldn't immediately reply.

"Whoa there, just breath. Take short breaths Mrs. Jennings. Take it easy." Johnny soothed while shining his flashlight on his wristwatch and timing the contraction. It lasted almost a full minute. Not good.

When the contraction had passed Evelyn looked into Johnny's eyes. "No it won't! It won't be all right. My water broke right when the elevator stopped. I think the baby is coming. It's coming, and we're trapped in this hot nasty elevator."

In her distraught state, Evelyn couldn't help but notice this young fireman didn't seem the least upset. She found his lack of apprehension confusing at best. Was he nuts? They were trapped in a dark, motionless elevator. Didn't he get it? He and his fireman friend were probably going to end up delivering her baby. Her realization of the certainty of the moment brought about more anxiety, and yet another serious contraction.

Again Johnny checked his watch. Yeah, they had a problem. It had been less than one minute since the last contraction. The baby was most certainly on the way.

Chet meanwhile had dug his handy-talkie out of his turnout pocket. He contacted Captain Stanley and was assured help was on the way.

Chet looked down upon Johnny while Johnny timed another contraction. Chet didn't know much about labor and delivery, but what he did know was that labor pains coming so close together and at such a length was a pretty good sign that there would soon be a birth.

"Ah, Johnny…Cap says they've got someone working on getting the power restored. Looks like a transformer blew because of water damage." Chet fiddled nervously with the radio while he spoke. "Uh….she is going to be able to wait until we're out'a here, isn't she?" Chet's voice was laced with apprehension and pathetic hope.

Johnny gently patted Evelyn's shoulder when her contraction ended. "You just take it easy there Mrs. Jennings. Everything is going to be all right."

Evelyn was lying in a puddle of bodily fluids, cramping like crazy in the bottom of a warm, dark, wet, stalled elevator. Everything did NOT look like it was going to be all right. Why on earth this very young fireman kept telling her things were fine was beyond anything her overwhelmed mind could comprehend. She huffed a sigh of terror laced frustration. "Yeah, sure it is." She sarcastically bit out in a soft grumble.

Johnny gave her one more sympathetic pat, and stood to speak with Chet.

"Get on the radio and contact Roy. Have him set up to relay to Rampart. If they don't get this elevator movin' in the next five minutes, we'll be delivering a baby right here." He murmured very near Chet's ear.

Chet's bushy brows climbed into his hair line. "We?" He dubiously whispered. "No pal, '_we_' won't be delivering a baby; '_you_' will." If one could whisper a desperate yell, that's exactly what Chet had done.

Johnny pressed his lips together in annoyance. "I'm gonna need some help Chet, and since you are the only other person in this elevator who isn't about to have a baby, that makes you my _willing_ volunteer."

"Can't you slow things down or somethin'?" Chet pleaded softly. "This scene really isn't for me Johnny. Come on man! Give me a break here!"

"What exactly did ya want me to do Chet? Tell the baby not to come?" Johnny replied in an indignant, sotto voce whisper.

"Yes actually. That'd be great." Chet hissed back. But Johnny's tone and mannerism told Chet begging was a lost cause. This child was coming sooner rather than later, and like it or not Chet was doomed to be a participant.

Chet gulped loudly and raised the handy-talkie to his lips. Silently he prayed the elevator would instantly begin operating. Roy was supposed to be the other guy in these instances. How Chet got roped into this he'd never understand. Where the heck was Roy when he was _really_ needed?!

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure Chet. That's exactly what I'll do. I'll tell the baby to stop coming 'cause my buddy here is squeamish."

"I'm not squeamish!" Chet growled softly. "I just…..geeze! All right, all right. Just get down there and help her out. I think we're scaring her whispering up here."

Though Evelyn couldn't hear distinct words in the whispered conversation, she did get the uncomfortable tenor of the exchange. To say her confidence was not bolstered was the understatement of the century.

Johnny knelt next to Evelyn when he'd finished his conversation with Chet. Sliding the drug box over next to their patient, Johnny opened it to withdraw a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. Fitting the cuff around Evelyn's arm, Johnny hastily began to take vitals.

Evelyn was startled when this fireman in full turnouts began taking her blood pressure. Yeah sure, the blond headed fireman on the fifth floor had taken a reading, but he'd told her he was some sort of medically trained person. Now Evelyn began to wonder if all firemen were trained in medicine.

"Uh, you're a fireman. Why are you taking my blood pressure?" She quarried meekly.

Johnny smiled warmly while he allowed the remainder of the air to hiss from the cuff before answering. "Because I'm a firefighter/paramedic ma'am." He responded while reaching for her wrist to obtain a pulse. Next Johnny slid a small spiral notebook from his shirt pocket, and jotted down vital numbers. When he'd finished writing, he reached up with the notebook and thrust it into Chet's hand, indicating with a nod Chet should relay the information to Rampart.

"Paramedic?" Evelyn was puzzled but didn't have long to ponder what he had just said as another contraction crashed into her reality.

Somehow while the contraction washed over her, Evelyn took a second to stop and notice the fireman at her side seemed to be timing the contraction. When she thought about it, she'd seen him do that before when there had been a contraction.

When things had settled she looked directly into the man's brown eyes. Silently her expression pleaded with him to give her the answer she needed to hear. "Uh…. Please tell me you know how to deliver a baby Mr?..."

Johnny offered his most disarming lopsided smiles. "Johnny." He supplied. "Firefighter/paramedic John Gage at your service Mrs. Jennings. And yes, I know how to deliver a baby."

"Uh Johnny, Rampart wants you to start an IV. NS TKO, and keep them apprised." Chet said softly.

"All right Chet, why don't you get down here and spike a bag of saline for me so I can get that IV going." Johnny commanded.

Reaching into the drug box Johnny withdrew a tourniquet, sterile wipe, and what looked to Evelyn to be a very long needle.

Chet reluctantly knelt and grabbed an IV administration box and bag of saline. Peeling the wrapper from the bag of saline, Chet began to assemble and bleed the IV as he'd been instructed.

Johnny reached down and took Evelyn's arm. He held her wrist between his arm and his ribs, and deftly applied the tourniquet to her upper arm. While he worked, Johnny spoke to his patient in soothing tones. "Mrs. Jennings, my friend Chet here has been in touch with the hospital, and they've ordered an IV for you. I'm going to get that started now, and then we'll have a look and see how soon this baby will be joining us. O.K.?"

Evelyn couldn't help but observe he'd phrased his words like a question, yet seemed not to wait for her o.k. to begin the process. She wasn't really that keen on someone poking her with a needle, especially one as long as the man held in his long slender fingers at this moment. But, he hadn't really given her much of an opportunity to decline the procedure.

Johnny made quick work of the IV, and when everything was in place and taped down he carefully moved down toward Evelyn's feet.

"So, Mrs. Jennings, I'm going to see if I can get rid of the puddle you are laying in. That can't be very comfortable. If you'll bend your knees and then lift your hips, I'll see if I can't empty some of this fluid from the stokes."

Evelyn followed directions and together Johnny and she managed to clear away the excess fluid and divest her of her undergarments.

"Uh, Johnny…..you uh….you have delivered a baby before, haven't you?" Evelyn quarried when he'd reached for the waistband of her undies. She had to hear him say it. It was pretty apparent they were about to get really chummy, and Evelyn needed to know for sure this guy knew what he was doing.

Johnny grinned at her in the reflected beam of the flash light. "Several actually." He confirmed.

While he spoke Johnny turned and opened the OB kit. Carefully donning sterile gloves, he lifted a clean white sheet from the kit and gently draped it over Evelyn's bent knees. He had her raise her hips again, and placed a large absorbent pad beneath them.

While the exchange between Evelyn and Johnny transpired, Chet sat back on his haunches as far away from the proceedings as he could possibly get. He had never been present for the birth of a child, and the one time he'd gotten close he'd managed to duck out the doorway so he wouldn't see anything Roy had been doing as he helped that women deliver during that big brush fire a couple years ago.

Now as he thought back on that one time, Chet remembered Johnny having made that same crack he'd made only moments ago. Chet had really wanted the paramedics to get the woman from the brush fire to wait to have her kid until she could be moved to a safer place. When Chet had made the request his _friend_ had said something like, "I'll tell the baby." It wasn't funny then, and it certainly wasn't funny right now.

"Chet, I'm gonna need you to hold the flashlight so I can see here." Johnny indicated with a jerk of his head while his gloved hand went between the woman's legs.

"_Oh hell no!"_ Chet's mind screamed.

Gingerly Chet picked the flashlight up from the floor where it had been laying. Apparently the indirect light provided by the beam wouldn't be good enough. Chet tried to aim the beam at the target Johnny was indicating. But there was no way Chet wanted to get a good look, so he made his attempt at light placement from far enough away he wouldn't actually be able to see where the light was pointing.

After the exam, Johnny looked up to make eye contact with Evelyn. "You're fully dilated Mrs. Jennings. It shouldn't be long now."

Evelyn felt another contraction beginning, and the irrevocable urge to push screamed at her through every fiber of her being.

With all the pain she was experiencing, and the fear she felt, somehow in that moment Evelyn's funny bone got activated. She squealed and giggled uncontrollably through the contraction. Here she was in the wet, dark floor of a stuck elevator with a fireman's hands down between her legs…..yet he was still addressing her formally. The overwhelming emotions swept her through the contraction.

When the contraction had passed Evelyn managed to calm herself enough to speak. "Oh my gosh Johnny! You have your hands between my legs, and you are getting an eye full. Call me Evelyn for heaven's sakes. I think we are intimate enough here for you to use my first name.

Johnny grinned and chuckled softly. "O.K. Evelyn, I think I can do that."

Chet was not finding any humor in the situation. Sure, he'd been with lots of women. But, somehow he'd never figured out how the paramedics went from polite conversation with their patients in one minute, then in the next viewing and touching the same people in the most personal ways. How does one go from "Hi my name is…." To "lets get those clothes off so I can have a look at your nude body." In the space of only a few seconds?

As he sat and watch the exchange Chet was struck with the notion that the tricky transition he'd been pondering seemed to just happen. Johnny hadn't asked the woman for permission to remove clothing. Somehow he'd just done it, and she'd assumed all that was just fine. Remarkable! And Gage seemed to be just as comfortable with the situation as he would have been in a casual conversation with the woman.

While Chet was lost in thought, the flashlight beam most have strayed from providing light where Johnny needed it. Chet felt Johnny nudge him with a forearm.

"Huh?" Chet blinked while rejoining the present moment.

"Chet, I'm gonna need you to move over here next to me so you can keep the light shining in the right place. Here in just a sec I'm not gonna have time to remind you. It'll just be easier if you watch what you're doin'."

Chet sighed, and swallowed hard. But he knew Johnny was correct, and after slowly removing his helmet and wiping his sweaty face, Chet grudgingly complied with Johnny's request.

While the birth progressed, Chet played light holder and involuntary witness. He did pretty well until the baby crowned. The image of the baby's head trying to pass through such a small opening paired with the agonized cries of the birthing mother almost did Chet in. His world began to turn gray around the edges, and his breathing became shallow and fast.

Johnny hastily glanced over to where his friend knelt. Chet's diaphoretic, pale face reflected his distress. Johnny could tell the man was hyperventilating. "Calm down Chet." Johnny softly coached. "Take a breath and hold it for me, all right? Let's get your breathing slowed down."

From somewhere in the grey mist Chet heard Johnny's instructions. Somehow he managed to comply. Holding his breath helped him slow his respiration, and the world began to come back into focus.

While he worked, Johnny kept a surreptitious watch on Chet. When he'd noticed Chet was able to slow down his breathing Johnny said, "That's better Chet. Just hang in there pal. You're gonna make it."

When the baby boy was finally born, Johnny talked Chet through clamping and cutting the umbilical cord.

While the feeling of cutting the cord was somewhat un-nerving for the Irish firefighter, the wonder of having witnessed the beginning of a new life was amazing. Chet was grinning from ear to ear while he watched Johnny briskly towel off the newborn baby, and then wrap him in the sterile blanket provided in the kit.

The child was nestled in the stokes with Evelyn, and Chet was relieved at the notion the ordeal was at last over. He didn't realize there was a third stage to labor and that delivery had two parts. Unfortunately as they were still stranded in the elevator he'd be around to witness the second major event.

In Johnny's opinion, Evelyn's third stage of labor progressed as it should. When the placenta was delivered, Johnny slipped into another pair of gloves, and carefully examined his patient and the placenta to determine if everything had delivered. Chet hadn't been expecting this final experience, and made the mistake of not moving far enough away to avoid accidentally viewing the occurrence. In the end, the third stage of delivery did Chet in.

Chet, who had survived the birth, now felt he'd seen the worst of things. So, when Johnny asked him to hold the flashlight once again, Chet figured if he'd made it this far, there wasn't anything worse that could happen. After all, the woman was holding her baby. They were done with the unpleasantness, right?

While Johnny assisted with the third stage of labor, Chet looked on curiously. He had no idea what Johnny was doing. Then suddenly there was a massive gush of blood, tissue and fluid. Chet couldn't help but think it looked like the woman's body was ripping itself apart from the inside out. It was seeing that much blood and gunk all at once that caused Chet's face to blanch white. Perspiration beads blossomed on his forehead and cheeks, his cold face and neck burned with heat, the oxygen in the room seemed to disappear all at once and the world began to turn black. That was the last thing Chet would recall before he fell backward.

Johnny, who had seen the entire birth procedure more than once, realized what would be happening. Unfortunately, he forgot to warn Chet, and during the final process neglected to monitor Chet. The first indicator of trouble Johnny saw came when he heard a resounding "thunk" when Chet fainted, and fell back against the wall of the elevator.

"Uh, Johnny? I think your friend is um….having a problem." Evelyn quietly offered.

Shifting his attention from the inspection he'd been making of the placental material, Johnny sighed. "Yeah, looks like you're right. Sorry about that Evelyn. But, on the up side, things here are lookin' great. Looks like everything delivered allright."

Johnny gently slid the absorbent pad he'd placed under Evelyn's hips out, and folding it neatly so as to capture all the material within, he carefully dropped it into a plastic bag for transport. "I'll just clean you up a little, and then I'll see what I can do for Chet."

Evelyn snuggled her infant closer to her and smiled wearily at Johnny. "I guess that last part was just too much for him, huh?"

Johnny chuckled. "Yeah, guess so. Actually though, he did pretty good considering. I thought for a while there he wasn't gonna make it through the birth at all, but he managed to calm down."

Evelyn giggled. "Yeah, somewhere through the mist of pain I heard you coaching him. You're a good guy Johnny."

Johnny laughed again. "Weeeeeyyllll," He stretched the monosyllabic word out into three. "Chet might not share your opinion when this is all over."

Evelyn yawned. The fatigue of birthing was catching up to her. "Oh, why not?"

Johnny finished cleaning Evelyn, and covered her in the yellow blanket he'd removed from on top of her earlier.

"Let's just say Chet never really wanted to be a paramedic, and child birth is one of the reasons." Johnny offered. "Now, you just see if you can lay there and take it easy for a few minutes. I'm gonna check on Chester B."

Evelyn closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax. She was exhausted!

Johnny moved over so he was squatting beside Chet's unconscious form. Carefully Johnny surveyed Chet's condition. With some effort, Johnny managed to work Chet's turnout coat off enough to get a set of vital signs. The man's blood pressure was pretty low, and Johnny noted he was cold and clammy. There was a decent sized knot flourishing on the back of Chet's head where it had impacted with the elevator wall.

Johnny dug his handy-talkie out and radioed Captain Stanley.

"Cap, this is Johnny. Do you read me?"

Stanley's disembodied voice answered in short order. "I read you John, what's going on?"

"Looks like we have another patient here."

"What do you mean?" Cap's confusion was evident.

Johnny sighed. "We have a code I. Can you tell me when we'll get this elevator moving?"

"Any second actually. I was just about to get in touch with you to let you know. What happened?" Stanley questioned.

"Chet's down." Johnny hoped Cap would leave it at that. Broadcasting that his friend had passed out would be very embarrassing for Chet when he woke up.

"All right John. I'll let Roy know to meet you on the first floor." Cap answered. Though he was curious about what might have happened to Chet, Cap understood by Johnny's tone that he was intentionally being vague with the information he broadcast on the radio. Stanley figured he'd just have to wait until the duo emerged from their hour long elevator imprisonment to find out what had happened to his lineman.

In less than five minutes power had been restored to the elevator. The lights came on, and the car began to descend. The illumination and movement roused Evelyn, but not Chet.

When the doors opened on the first floor, two ambulance attendants from Mayfair assisted Johnny in removing Evelyn and her baby from the elevator. Johnny needed to attend his patient, so he smiled at Roy handing him the small spiral notebook where he'd noted Chet's vitals.

"What happened." Roy asked as he squatted to get a better look at his fallen friend.

Johnny grinned. "Apparently the third stage of labor didn't sit well with him."

Roy nodded his understanding. "vasovagal syncope huh. "

Johnny nodded. "Eeyup."

Roy sighed. "He's still out?"

Johnny finished gathering up equipment while he nodded. "mmmmm hmmm…. And unfortunately when he went down, he whacked his head on the wall of the elevator. He's got quite a bump forming."

"All right, I'll get in touch with Rampart. Could you send the Mayfair guys back with a stretcher? Looks like our friend here will be needing a ride." Roy responded while beginning to examine his patient.

Consciousness returned to Chet in a slow cloudy wave. Someone was shining a light in his eyes. His head hurt like blazes, and he was somehow crumpled half on a wet floor and a damp wall.

"You thinking about waking up Chet?" A soothing gravelly voice inquired.

'_What the hell? Where am I?"_ Chet opened his eyes to find himself staring into the face of Roy DeSoto.

"What happened?" Chet asked while vainly attempting to sit up.

"Just stay down Chet." Roy said while placing a heavy hand on each of Chet's shoulders to enforce the command. "Why don't you tell me what you remember?"

Chet closed his eyes for a second while allowing recollections to filter through his consciousness. Slowly he shook his head as if to clear away cobwebs that had formed on his brain.

"Last thing I remember was seeing Gage….uh…man! How do you guys do it?" Chet just couldn't say what he remembered aloud.

Roy chuckled. "Now come on Chet, I thought you always said you might be interested in becoming a paramedic so you could hang out in an air conditioned hospital rather than in the heat of things fighting fires." Roy gently taunted.

Chet shook his head. "Uh uh man! Not gonna happen."

Roy smirked. "Squeamish?"

Chet smiled. "Ya know Roy, I'd love to tell ya I'm not…but honestly. Yeah! You guys do some really gross things! Nu uh….no way paramedicing is for me!"

Roy chuckled softly while he took another set of vitals for Chet. "Well, looks like you had to figure that one out the hard way, huh."

"Yeah…no kiddin'." Chet replied ruefully

When Roy had contacted Rampart and reported on his vitals, the phantom was informed he'd be getting a trip to the hospital. The news was accepted with little enthusiasm.

"Ah man, this is humiliating!" Chet griped as he was being loaded onto a stretcher. "Worse yet, I bet I'll never hear the end of it from Gage!"

Roy grinned down at Chet. "Nah…. I bet he'll take it easy on you. You might take a little teasing about being squeamish, but no worse than you gave him after that incident with the snake bite and him administering his own IV."

Chet rolled his eyes, and sighed with defeat. He supposed he had at least that much coming.

Chet was loaded into the ambulance with Evelyn and her new baby. Johnny was the medic who rode to Rampart with them.

After the vehicle was in motion, Johnny smiled warmly at Chet. "How ya feelin' there Chet?"

"My head hurts like crazy Gage." Chet groused.

"Well, we'll get you to Rampart pretty quick. The Doc's will fix you right up. You're lucky you hit your noggin, and not any of your vital zones. Probably the only thing that really got hurt was that elevator wall." Johnny couldn't help but tease Chet a little. If he didn't give the man a hard time, Chet might think his head injury was dire.

"Gimmie a break Gage!" Chet begged.

Johnny chuckled. "Nah, Chet…I'm just teasing. You had me worried there for a second. I'm glad to see you're awake."

"I tell ya Gage, I didn't know what hit me. You should'a warned me about what was gonna happen. I'd have known not to look." Chet grumbled.

"Yeah, sorry about that man. I forgot you didn't know what was comin'."

"Yeah, thanks man." Chet huffed lamely.

"Hey, I said I'm sorry!" Johnny defended. "Besides, you got to join the stork club today. It's pretty cool helping new life come into this world, don't ya think?"

A soft smile spread over Chet's face. "Yeah, that was pretty cool."

Johnny patted his friend on the shoulder. "You just relax and take it easy. We'll be at Rampart in no time."

Chet closed his eyes and relaxed into the stretcher. In hind sight, being a part of the child's birth was a beautiful and heartwarming occurrence. Chet wasn't sure if he'd ever witnessed a greater miracle. That his friend Johnny had been there to talk him through his reactions to the process had turned out to be a blessing. Now as he lay silently under Johnny's watchful eye Chet couldn't help but marvel at the entire experience. Somehow, even though this day would end with Chet in a hospital bed, the experience of it would forever change how Chet viewed his paramedic pals, and the life changing work they did.

**Authors Note: **The idea for this piece came from "Brush Fire" where Chet nearly walks in on the birth of a baby. The hasty way he retreated as if he was totally terrified he might see something caused me to wonder what his reactions might be if some day he were forced to see what he'd avoided that day. Ginger's challenge to write a story where you put your favorite characters in an elevator gave me a chance to explore my interpretation of a possible outcome. When I began to ponder this story, my muse had been on strike for a while. Ginger's writing prompt got the creative juices flowing. Thanks Ginger!

I am in no form or fashion a medical professional though in my defense I did consult with a nurse before I wrote this story, and I did a significant amount of research. Procedural errors in child birth are strictly my ignorance shining through. I ask for your indulgent forgiveness in advance. Thanks for reading, and if the mood strikes, leave me a review. Input and opinions matter to me, and besides it's fun to receive tangible evidence that there actually are people out there reading the stuff I wrote.


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